Retractable sidewalk teller system



Oct. 20, 1953 c. D. ELLITHORPE 2,656,013

RETRACTABLE S'IDEWALK TELLER SYSTEM Filed Nov. 21, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

v P. BY 75%4wWn TTUHNEYS Oct. 20, 1953 c. D. ELLITHORPE 2,656,013

7 RETRACTABLE SIDEWALK TELLER SYSTEM Filed Nov. 21, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7/2 f I g I 28 1N VEN TOR.

Clare/we HEY/17101 e BY ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RETRACTABLE SIDEWALK TELLER SYSTEM Application November 21, 1951, Serial No. 257,487

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a teller apparatus for sidewalk banking service or the like and is particularly concerned with an arrangement movable between an operative position projecting above the sidewalk and a retracted position in which the apparatus is below the sidewalk surface.

In prior devices, the sidewalk teller stand has been mounted permanently in a position projecting upwardly from the sidewalk. The stand usually is adjacent the curb, the teller being inside the bank and the customer being at sidewalk level. Previous stands have had means for transferring articles and have had means of communication between the customer and the teller, the teller normally being below street level, although he may be in the stand. Because of the permanent mounting of the previous stands, they may obstruct pedestrian tratfic and may be subject to night vandalism.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a sidewalk teller apparatus in which an enclosed stand extends upwardly from the sidewalk for use in the performance of sidewalk banking services, and which may be retracted to a position such that pedestrian traflic will not be obstrueted and the stand will be in a protected position when not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved teller apparatus which is simple in construction, easy of operation, and wherein all the advantages of a permanently mounted stand are present.

In one aspect of the invention, a teller apparatus is provided wherein the stand or kiosk is movable by any suitable mechanism between a raised or operative position in which it extends upwardly from the sidewalk, and a retracted or storage position in which the entire stand is located beneath the sidewalk in a pit with the top of the stand flush with the sidewalk. The stand can have an upright wall portion with an opening for transferring articles and a window providing visual communication between a teller or service person and a customer.

In a preferred embodiment, a fluid pressure operated motor located in said pit beneath the sidewalk can be employed for raising and lowering the stand through the opening in the sidewalk. A seal can be provided between the margins of the vertical walls of the pit or the sidewalk opening and the stand for sealing the joint therebetween and yet permitting raising and lowering of the stand.

One form of the sealing arrangement of the stand relative to the pit in the sidewalk can include a resilient material suitably carried by the vertical walls of the pit adjacent the sidewalk opening so as to extend inwardly and upwardly from the vertical walls of the pit. The stand can have a member near the top thereof and a member near the bottom thereof, each of these members extending around the periphery of the stand and appropriately cooperating with said resilient material for sealing the joint between the stand and margins of the sidewalk opening or vertical walls of the pit. The upper of said members extends upwardly and outwardly from adjacent the upper end of the stand and is joined at its upper edges to the outer edges of the projecting stand roof. The upper member will engage said reilient material member when the stand is in a lowered or storage position, The other member can extend downwardly and outwardly to engage the resilient member when the stand is in its raised or operative position. Conduits may be provided in the sidewalk to connect the space adjacent to and above the juncture of the resilient member and the walls of the pit so as to conduct away any water and dirt that may collect in said space.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and drawing of one illustrative embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a retractable teller apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a broken front elevational view, partly in section, of an upper portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the sealing structure which acts to keep materials from falling into the pit beneath the sidewalk when the stand is in its retracted position;

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the front wall of a modification of the teller apparatus embodying the principles of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional View taken generally along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-8 of Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a rear elevational view of the teller apparatus of Fig. 4.

In the arrangements shown for illustrating the principles of the invention, the teller apparatus includes an enclosed stand or kiosk l0 movable through opening I2 formed in sidewalk M adjacent curb IQ of street It. The enclosed stand is vertically movable through said sidewalk opening between a raised or operative position in which it extends upwardly above the sidewalk, and a storage or retracted position within pit 22 disposed underneath the sidewalk opening, by a lift mechanism generally indicated at 20, located in the pit 22. Below the curb I6 is a retaining wall 24 which forms a side wall of the pit 22.

The enclosed stand is provided with upright walls including a front wall 26 having an opening 27 for the transfer of articles involved in business transactions in and from the stand by a customer located beside the stand. The upright walls include a rear wall 28, and side walls 3! and 32. A flat roof 34 closes off the upper end of the stand and in addition to preventing the entrance of dirt and water thereinto, also serves the additional purpose of acting as a portion of the sidewalk by closing the sidewalk opening I2 when the stand is in a lowered position in pit 22. The lower end of the stand is supported on a platform 36 secured upon the upper end of lift mechanism 20.

Lift mechanism 28 may be of any conventional construction but preferably has a fluid operated plunger 38 slidably mounted in a cylinder (not shown) in the lower end of the pit. By admitting fluid under pressure to the cylinder, plunger 38 may be made to move upwardly until the stand being carried by it on the platform 35 extends to the proper height above the sidewalk.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there is shown therein an embodiment of the invention usable when the teller occupies a position in a room or zone, generally indicated at M, located beneath the sidewalk and of which the pit 22 may form a part. The conveying means for transmitting articles between a position opposite a customer and a position in reach of the teller located in the room beneath the sidewalk may be carried entirely by the stand. In the embodiment disclosed, the stand has been made of a length such that an elevator mechanism may be mounted therein along one wall to-convey the articles between customer and teller positions.

The necessary access to the elevator mechanism can be through openings suitably located in the walls of the stand and these include the opening 21 formed in the upper portion of the front wall 26 and an opening 51 formed in the lower portion of the rear wall 28.

The elevator mechanism includes a car 42 movable in a shaft 43 fixed to the front wall 26 of the stand. The movements of the elevator can be controlled by a reversible electric motor 44 energizable by a switch 38 mounted adjacent counter 38, said counter extending inwardly into the stand from the lower edges of the lower opening 4!. The electric motor 44 is connected to the elevator car 42 by a chain to, the free ends 500. and 561) being connected respectively to the upper and lower portions of the car. The lower looped portion of the chain 50 passes around a sprocket wheel 52 carried by the driving shaft 55 of the electric motor 44. The chain passes over two other sprocket wheels, one of which, as seen at 56, is mounted directly above the upper position of the car 42, while the other (not shown) is mounted to one side of the car to prevent entanglement of the chain 50 with the car. By suitable actuation of the switch 46, the motor 3 may be made to rotate to move the elevator car between its two delivery positions.

To enable the identification by the teller beneath the sidewalk of a prospective customer who is outside of the stand, a system of visual communication is provided. For example, parallel mirrors 58 and E56 are mounted in the stand at half -right angles to the longitudinal axis thereof and are disposed behind windows 62 and as formed in opposite wall portions 26 and 28 of the stand respectively. The upper window 52 is located above the opening 2? and at the eye level of the customer. The lower window 64 is formed in the rear wall 28 of the stand above the opening ll therein and at eye level of a teller stationed in room 58. Mirrors 58 and til are arranged to provide a wide range of vision between the two eye levels along the path indicated generally by the lines S in Fig. l.

Manifestly, however, the upper portion of the stand l0 when projecting above the sidewalk it must be kept closed and protected against vandalism and unauthorized entry. For this purpose, wall 26 is provided with a generally tubular member as which extends inwardly from the edges of the window '52. A bullet-resistant glass panel 68 is fixed over the inner end of this tubular member in front of the upper mirror 58.

Similar protection is obtained for the opening 2? by providing a door ill for the opening 2?, said door being operated preferably by the teller. Door H3 is pivotally mounted at its lower end at 72, and is adapted to have its upper end swing outward and downward to a position in which it also serves as a tray or counter for the customer. The movements of the door to and from closed position are effected by suitable motor operated mechanism under the control of the teller. The motor apparatus may be of various forms but as diagrammatically illustrated, it includes a motor it which rotates a disc 16 eccentrically connected to one end of a connecting rod 78, the other end of which is connected to a lever arm 89 fixed to the door. Suitable switching means for energi ing the motor may beprovided on the lower part of the stand within easy access of the teller.

The teller apparatus may be provided with a call button 82 (Fig. 2) electrically connected to chimes 8:2 mounted on the lower portion of the stand. A suitable oral communication system also may be provided which may take the form of a two-way microphone-speaker arrangement under control of the teller. The upper speaker may be adjacent opening 62 so as to provide the necessary sound transmitting means at the customer position. Additional openings 86 and 88 also may be formed in the front wall 25 of the stand at either side of the door closed opening it and these may be used to mount a clock and a thermometer respectively.

Thus, a teller apparatus has been embodied into one movable unit which is capable of being used to perform all of the customary teller functions and which can be lowered after business hours to a protected position which will not obstruct pedestrian traffic. In the lowered position of the teller apparatus, however, it is necessary to close the sidewalk opening 22 so as to prevent tripping of pedestrians coming in contact therewith and so as to prevent water entering the pit.

This is accomplished by lowering the stand 28 to a point where the horizontal flat roof 3 3 is disposed so that its upper surface is flush with the upper surface of the sidewalk Id. The roof 3 3 ext-ends beyond the juncture of the roof with the side walls of the stand and, as seen in Fig. 3, the terminating edges of the roof lie approximately in the middle of the space formed between the walls of the stand and the edges of the sidewalk opemng I2. In the lowered position of the stand, the roof disposed at the level of the sidewalk cooperates with a frame 90 disposed about the upper outer edge of the sidewalk opening to form a substantially continuous surface substantially closing all entrance into the opening I2 and the pit 22 beneath the sidewalk. Preferably, the roof 3 and the frame 9i] are formed with a non-skid top of any well-known construction to prevent slipping of pedestrians walking thereupon. A member 92 is disposed about the periphery of the upper end of the stand I9 and extends upwardly and outwardly from the side walls of the stand to a juncture with the outer edges of the roof 34 to form a toe guard effective to deflect the foot of a person on the sidewalk from beneath the roof of the stand as it is lowered into the storage position in pit 22.

A water-tight seal is efiected in the sidewalk opening I2 about the stand It in both its operating and storage positions to prevent unwanted flow of dirt and water into the pit. Around vertical walls of the pit 22 adjacent the opening I2, an angle iron 93 can be provided supporting resilient member 94 which extends upwardly and inwardly within the opening I2. Mounted about the periphery of the stand It and at the level of the surface of the sidewalk it when the stand is in raised position, is a member 88 extending downwardly and outwardly into the space between the stand and the edges of the opening I2. As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, when the stand It is in raised position, the resilient member 94 engages the lower inner side of the member 98 in abutting relation so as to form a seal effective to intercept any dirt and water entering the opening I2 from above the sidewalk. The resilient member 94 cooperates with the upwardly andoutwardly extending toe guard 92 (Fig. 3) when the stand is in its lower or storage position to intercept the dirt and water passing into the opening I2 through the space existing between the outer edges of the roof 34 and the inner edges of the frame 80. The flexible member 94 is bent downwardly by the upwardly and outwardly extending member 92 so as to bring about a tight relationship therebetween. The flexible member 9 is secured to the angle iron 96 by a plate 98A held in abutting relationship to it by a plurality of fastening means IUD extending through the angle iron and the flexible member.

The interception of dirt and water entering the opening I2 results in the collection thereof in the space adjacent the angle iron 96 supporting the resilient member 94 and the edges of the opening I2, so that conduit means are provided to carry away such intercepted dirt and water. The conduit means may take the form of drain pipes I 02 disposed adjacent curb It so as to conduct intercepted dirt and water away from the aforementioned space adjacent the angle iron 96 to the street I8. An angle iron I04 may be disposed about the upper portion of the sidewalk edges surroundin the opening I2 so as to provide a suitable base for mounting the angle iron 96, the frame 95 and the drain pipes Hi2.

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and '7 illustrate an embodiment of the invention in which the vertically movable stand has been modified so that the teller or person servicing the apparatus may occupy a position therein and face a customer when the stand is in its raised or operative position. In such an arrangement, the stand is of the same general outline as the stand Ii] in the previously described embodiment, and is provided with a simi lar window and door closed article transfer opening. The stand difiers from the earlier embodiment principally in the omission of the conveying means for the transmission of the articles involved in the transaction between the customer level and the level of the teller. The visual communication means also can be omitted. A floor I It is provided to support the teller in the stand and a door IE2 located in the rear wall 28 of the stand to give access to the stand. It will be observed that the stand in the modified embodiment may be of shorter length, which length is limited only by the height of the teller, it not being necessary to provide a lower opening and window for a teller in a room beneath the sidewalk. In one aspect of the invention, the stand may be entered from the room below the sidewalk through door H2. In another aspect, it is not necessary to provide a room beneath the sidewalk because the stand can be entered through the door when the stand is in its upper position above the sidewalk. In this latter instance, the pit 22 beneath the sidewalk need be of a dimension sufficient to accommodate only the lift mechanism 26 and the stand. In this last arrangement, the money and article must be transported across the sidewalk from the stand to the bank.

The modified stand also is provided with a counter Ht having the usual instrumentalities for enablin the transfer of articles involved in business transactions, and these may include a cash drawer H6, an article drawer H8, and a pistol pocket I23. The counter is supported by the front wall 26 and by legs I2I so that the upper surface thereof is adjacent the bottom of the article transfer opening 2?.

Door H2 is hingedly secured to the rear wall 28 of the stand, the door carrying a suitable lock construction whereby the teller may prevent unauthorized opening. Door H2 is provided also with a plurality of louvers I22 opening downwardly on the outside which cooperate with a plurality of louvers IZd formed around the upper end of the stand to bring about a circulation of air in the stand suiiicient to sustain a service person.

The walls of the stand utilized in the embodiment of Figs. 4 to '7 are preferably formed of materials which protect a teller stationed therein from heat and from injury. In the embodiment shown, these desired qualities have been obtained by forming the walls and roof of the stand of spaced steel plates having an insulating material, such as glass fiber insulation, disposed therebetween. A wood panel ceiling I26 is mounted in the stand a distance beneath the roof so as to obtain an air space providing additional heat protection for the teller person. The ceiling may be recessed as at I28 to accommodate a pair of fluorescent light tubes :38. The ceiling also is provided with an opening I 32 having a louver I3 3 and constituting a passageway through which air entering the lower louvers I22 may reach the louvers I24 disposed-above ceiling 26.

The rear wall 28 and interconnecting walls 36 and 32 may be provided with windows I3Ii, E38

and I40, respectively, covered with transparent bullet-resistant glass to enable the teller to see around the stand in all directions. As space is at a premium in an arrangement of this type, the windows are set flush with the side walls of the stand and the glass panel for the front window 62 '2 is not recessed as in theemhodiment or Figs, 1 to It will be understoodthatthe embodiments .de s rib d a ove, and illustr ted inthe-aewmmnyins d awings are exemplary only andthatyarious changes and omissions may he madewithout departin f h spirit ,oftheinvention as defined by the following claims,

What is claimed is;

n a e l r apparatus movable. between a raised operative positiongelatiue to a sidewalk and a lowered position flush with said sidewalk, said sidewalk having an opening therein with .a storage pit therebeneath, the combination including a closed stand movablethrough said sidewalk, opening to an elevated position. which-the upper portion of the stand is a'boyesthelevel, of the sidewalk and the lower portion gis opposite an attendants station underneath the sidewalk, said upper portion having ,an aperture therein for the. transfer or articles into and-out of the stand, :an article carryingmeans movable insaid standbetween .a position ,behindsaid aperture ,andia position in the lower portion .of. the stand opposite the attendants station when the stand is in elevated position, and :meansior. moving said stand through said sidewalkzopening between said elevated position and a retracted position-in the pit beneath the sidewalk.

2. In a teller apparatus movalole between a raised operative position relative :to .a sidewalk and a loweredposition flush with said sidewalk, said sidewalk having an opening therein with .a storage pit therebeneath, the combination including a closed standmoyable through said sidewalk opening to an elevated position in which the upper portion of the stand is above t'he levelof the sidewalk and the lower portion is opposite .an attendants station underneath the sidewalk, .said upper portion having an aperture .for the transfer of articles into and out of the stand, an article carrying means movable in said stand between a position behind said aperture and .a position in the lower portion of the stand opposite'the attendants station when the stand is in elevated position, a windowiormcdin the-upper portion of the stand above said aperture therein, .a window formed in the lower portion of said stand, apair. of cooperating parallel mirrors disposed in said stand behind said windows enabling visual communication between a customer above the sid walk a-nd an attendant at said station below the sidewalk, a plunger vertically movable in said-pit and supporting at its upper end the stand from beneath, and means ioroperating-said plunger to move the stand through said sidewalk opening between an elevated positionin which said stand extends upwardly from the sidewalk and a retracted position in said pit beneath the, level of said sidewalk and flush therewith.

3., In a teller apparatus movable between a raised operative position relative to a sidewalk and a lowered position flush with said sidewalk, said sidewalk having an opening therein with a storage pit therebeneath, the combination including a closed stand adapted to extend upward from said sidewalk opening in a raised position and having a vertical wall portion-with an aperture for the transfer of articles into andirom said stand, an upwardly and outwardly extending upper member adjacent the upper endoi said stand and extending around the periphery thereof, said member extending toward the margins of said sidewalk opening whenthe stand is in a lowered position, a downwardly sand outwardly said sidewalk having an opening therein with a storage pit therebeneath, the combination in cluding ,a'olosed standadapted to extend upward from said sidewalk openingain a raised nositionv andhaving a vertical wall portion-:withaniapere ture for thetransf er of articles into and from said stand, an upwardly and outwardly extending upper member adjacent ,the upper .end of said stand :and extending around the periphery there- 01,saidmember extending toward the margins of said sidewalk opening when the stand is in .a lowered position, a downwardly and outwardly extending lower member around the periphery of said stand at approximatelyathe level of the sidewalkwvhen the stand is :a raised position, and a strip of resilient material carried by the walls of said .pit adjacent the margins .of said sidewalk opening, said resilient material cooperating with said upper member whenithe stand is in lowered position to effect a seal and cooperatingwith saidlower member when the-stand is-in raised positionto efiect a seal.

:5. Ina teller apparatus movable between a raised operative position relative to a sidewalk and a lowered'position flush with said sidewalk, said sidewalk having an openingtherein with a storage :pit therebeneath, the combination including a closed standadapted toextend upward from said sidewalk opening in a :raised position and having a vertical'wall portion with :an aperture for the transfer of articles into and from said stand, an upwardly and outwardly extending upper member ad'jacenttheupper endof said stand and extending around the periphery :thereof said member extending toward the-margins :of said sidewalk opening when the-standis in a lowered position, a downwardly and outwardly extending lowermember around the periphery of said stand at-approx imately the level :ofthe sidewalk whenthe stand is in a raised :position, and astrip of resilient material carriedby the walls of said-pit adjacent the margins :of said-sidewalk opening, said resilient material cooperating with said :upper member when the stand is in lowered position to effect aseal andicooperating-withsaid lower member when the stand is in raised position to effect a seal, and conduit-means connected to the spaceabovesaidresilient strip for draining water therefrom.

6. In a teller apparatus movable between a raised operative position relative @to a sidewalk and a lowered position flush with said sidewalk, said sidewalk having an opening therein with a storage pit therebeneaththe combination incl-udinga iclosedgstand-adapted to extend upward from said-sidewalk opening in .a raised position and having vertical wall portions with ,a fiat roof extending beyond :saidwall portions, said flat roof forming, a portion of the sidewalk surface when the stand is ina lowered ,positioman aperture for the -transfer of articles :into ,and fromsaid stand, an upwardly and outwardly extending iupper member adjacent the upper end of said stand and extending around the periphery thereof, said upper member joining the edges of said flat roof, said member extending toward the margins of said sidewalk opening when the stand is in a lowered position, a downwardly and outwardly extending lower member around the periphery of said stand at approximately the level of the sidewalk when the stand is in a raised position, and a strip of resilient material extendable between margins of said sidewalk opening and the appropriate one of said upper and lower members when it is opposite thereto so as to seal the space between the stand and the margin of said sidewalk opening when the stand is in raised or lowered position.

CLARENCE D. ELLITHORPE.

References Cited. in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,296,688 Noah Mar. 11, 1919 1,986,712 Clark Jan. 1, 1935 2,044,391 Lindsay June 16, 1936 OTHER. REFERENCES Popular Science, page 63, October 1941. 

